Shattered principles
by grace lapointe
Summary: how do you survive in a world where many don't you become stronger and survive everything thrown at you 15 year old Fortune lives with her mother Rita and father's friend Gabriel troubles brewing she has to remember to find a cure you need experiments and with them come willing participants what if you can't find them what do you do then
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE

the lights flicker in my room i can here shouts coming from down the alley

there

are other noises too snarling and wheezing big tears trickle down my face where

is

my daddy he said he would be coming back but now its just me and mommy

who is still huddled in a corner her gypsy costume tinkles as the coins shake

from her sobbing somethings wrong but what a loud growl comes from the

alley

mommy stands up and starts pushing my dresser in front of the door her

costume rattles in an eerie way suddenly gun shots ring from the darkness i

hear glass shatter as they hit the windows of are old volvo then silence a few

minutes pass then a thud thud thump someones walking up the stairs

suddenly there's

a knock on the door and a voice whispers through the key whole Rita its okay

its me Gabriel mommy sobs with relief i can't understand why she is sad in the

first place but i trust that we are okay now Gabriel walks over to my bed

and coos softly come her Fortune who's my pretty girl and wraps me in my

pink blankie he quickly lifts me up i notice my mommy is packing are

emergency backpack and i get scared my mommy only packs up when

tornado's come Gabriel puts me in a papoose and i rest my head against his

chest mommy pulls out a knife from the back pack and Gabriel's got a gun i

feel tiny and useless but i never would want them to leave me so i simply

grab gabriels shirt and hold tight they start towards the door but i remember

salty my new kitten and start bawling mommy looks at me and i point to salty

she tries to calm me but i must look so pitiful because she finally scoops the

kitten up and puts her in her carrying case i am sated so i remain quiet

holding my kitten in the little leather bag close to my chest i resolve to never

let go and Gabriel starts towards the door mommy follows and we creep out

into the night the gunshots have stopped and i here faint slurping noises i

look in front of us and see a few creatures i can't see them properly but there

pale grey eyes glow in the moonlight i turn away and Gabriel mommy slip

past the demons and they ignore us intent on the flesh of my neighbors i look

closer and see mister Dickinson who owns the hardware store down the road

i see Bobby May who has a look of pure terror i see Travis who just got home

from military school a week ago i pause on his face he looks to young for this

fate but i know demons don't take favorites i look for daddy's face but i don't

see him it gives me some hope but not much we continue on past the

hospital the church and the dump when we come to super market its

crowded with demons most making on people i see a couple backed up in a

corner and point Gabriel takes a knife and runs over pushing it through the

demons head crunching through bone to the brain the thing goes limp the

couple is shaking but thanks us mommy quickly asks if we could trouble

them for a ride they nod there consent a girl seth red hair and a splatter of

freckles in a torn white dress and a brown haired man with spectacles we

clamber into a three door grey van i sit in the middle Gabriel and mommy on

either side of us are supplies were loaded into the back we head off mommy

is looking at a map and giving the couple ideas they talk for a while

eventually we decide to head out of Georgia and head up north in the hope

that we might come to a secluded hunting lodge and live there to wait out the

demons we ride through South Carolina traveling on I95 we quickly travel on

until we get to Pennsylvania it took us eighteen hours of siphoning off cars

and eating granola bars salty is a bit shaken but is laying next to me i feed

her some canned tune which she eats hungrily we stop at a big blue

farmhouse there are oaks and pine mommy says she choose here because

of the big stone fence and the seclusion Gabriel and Joshua who we find out

the couples names are joshua and jillian but they said we could call them

josh and jill were just married when the demons struck which explains jill's

white dress i feel bad for them there fairytale wouldn't come true but i know

were all very lucky i look up to see Gabriel has come back i hold my pink

blankie and he lifts me and salty up out of the car and we traipse across

fields to the house the first colors of lilac ravaging the sky I'm carried up the

stairs into an old bedroom and layed down on the bed the room looks

ransacked it seems as if it was once lived in but the hosts had no more need

of the abandoned farm house i try hard to fight off the exhaustion but i am

only six i fight and strive but i fail and succumb to the darkness


	2. Chapter 2

div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"CHAPTER 1/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i stand looking through the sights on my bow perfectly still i am hungry /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"everyone is this time of year the first buds of spring just coming into bloom /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and the dull ache i have had all winter turns into a roaring craving thing inside /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"me i quietly look around the birch forest and see a rustle in the bushes a fat /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"looking jack rabbit steps into my line of sight i breathe out and release my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"arrow jutting from its eye i feel slightly sad the blood trickling from the wound /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"makes it look like its in mourning but i quickly shove it back into my pouch the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"gang will be happy i have caught a few squirrels and this beauty we aren't a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"gang like we have special signs or bandanas we just where simple wire /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"necklaces and keep to our territory we are the ravangers a group of people /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"who survived the first shock of demons and are living off are ruined world are /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"gang has the north east territory and we still take up store in that ruined farm /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"house from nine years ago it is not so ruined anymore though its surrounded /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"by mud pits and canals the demons can't figure out and the house is a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"brownish green to blend in with the forest but know one lives there we have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"eight sycamores surrounding the house with small tree houses for sleeping /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"quarters but use the house for meetings cooking and shelter whenever it /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"storms there are five other groups and we keep to our own our only task kill /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"as many as possible i don't know how other continents fair but I'm sure they /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"will do there best as do we i walk up the gravel path through the cornfields to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the house its brick walls now green and brown and stalk through to the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"kitchen my mother Rita is there kneading the bread with Jill Bethany and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Cosme all the women have jobs we aren't slaves we can go ride out /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"whenever we want I'm just the only one who chooses to do mens work i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dump the kill on the granite counter top and Cosme rushes over to start the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"skinning Bethany is pounding corn flower while little Gavin Jill and josh's son /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"is mixing butter with Carrie Bethany and mikes daughter i walk off to the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"backyard and grab the axe splitting the logs stacked by the back door and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"chop it with a rhythmic thump thump enjoying the smell of the smoked bacon/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" in the smoke house i also smell cow dung but try to ignore it and continue /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"chopping carrying the wood in through a leather swing to the almost empty /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"wood box mother gives me an appreciative smile and hands me a ginger /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"cookie i smile and begin to walk out the door then stop when mother calls me /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"what mother i ask and she says Fortune would you walk out to the pits Mike /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"twisted his ankle and i would not have Cosme do it i nod she's right Cosme's /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"very squeamish and would probably faint and fall in with the demons i nod /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"I'm usually responsible for picking up any of beth's or cosme's slack but i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"didn't mind it would just make me stronger so i gram the michette off the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"book case and walk back down the gravel path to the pits which were /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"comprised of salt lakes quicksand barbwires and metal spikes apparently the/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" demons don't like salt so we have our home ringed in these kind of traps /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"most gangs do i just seem to get the dirty job of taking out the trapped /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"demons and restocking the salt which we stock up in steal from old salt /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"domes i grab a barrel of salt and put it and the machete in a old wagon and/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" walk it down the road to the border and look in all of the pits quickly taking /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the machete and driving it through the demons skulls and refilling salt tanks/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" until tongues of darkness lick at the sky and the sun starts sinking i start /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"walking back up the windy gravel path and put the wagon and salt in the barn/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" i look behind me to see lights in the distance but realize that its just the men /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"returning from scavenging i let out a piercing whistle and they circle me i pull /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"myself onto Chris's four wheeler and see him go a dark shade of crimson as /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"my thighs press against his and he strum's the engine and we jet out of there /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i have my own vehicle a black motorcycle but i bent the tire so Mike are ex /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"blacksmith is realigning it so I'm stuck at home until he's done and no amount /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"of my banter will hurry him up so i must be content here we pull up in front of /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the house i jump off while they park the cars all except the old ford three door /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"van which is are escape car and they come back with bags full of medicine /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and food i help them bring it inside we are stocking up on food because the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"council meeting is coming up and its our turn to host every year the gangs /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"meet up and we all discuss demon population and food i am one of three /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"women who actually attend and talk instead of crocheting a new scarf food /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"supplies are going down so we have to have half our food come from /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"scavenging and half from hunting which is where i balance things out we also/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" track some of the demons by tying ribbons around there arms are color is /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dark green and we make sure none of them are gathering our we would have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"a horde and they cause a lot of damage i am snapped back to the presence /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"by Gabriel are leader as he asks me for the book i know what you may think /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"about this but its not a bible we don't hold on to god in a shattered world but /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"mother did recover a whole se of story of the world a history book from a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"destroyed school and we all listened as she read a chapter each night and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"when we finished the book she started it again imprinting the knowledge into /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"our brains mother starts reading about the greek gods like Hermes the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"trickster Apollo the god of music and poems Zeus the leader and god of /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"lightning bolts and Artemis who i like to think i am most like the huntress /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"sadly we don't look much alike with my almost demon silver eyes and light /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"strawberry blonde hair but i am tall and strong so i can pretend i have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"porcelain skin and black curly hair instead of tan skin and straight wavy hair/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" my one good feature are my almost perfectly straight teeth but beauty /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"doesn't matter in this world all that matters is survival i was determined to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"survive after listening to my mothers reading we retire to our tree houses /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Cosme lives with me and mother because her parents were killed in the first /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"shock there have been four shocks each one worse then the last until the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"fourth which was very easy so are efforts are taking a blow to the demons/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Cosme snaps me back to reality as she lights the small lantern in the tiny /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"room we close the windows and i climb back down the ladder to where we /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"have built a metal tube that gets bigger near the bottom where a fire can be /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"lit to warm our house i climb back up the ladder and open up the metal hatch /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"in the room so a gust of warm air comes from below up into the room and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"slide a metal grate over it so know one can fall inane here a scratching at the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"door as salty comes in a scowl on her balck and white face as if to say you /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"locked me out and it was cold and and and then she falls asleep on my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"yellow comforter and i slowly take off my old jeans and t-shirt and put an old /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"silk dress on over my bra and panties and lie down in bed but i wait an hour /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"because unless we want to be freezing cold i have to close e the grate when /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the fire dies down fifteen minutes or so later i close the grate and are home is /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"cocooned in a warm darkness and i sleep/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div 


	3. Chapter 3

div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"CHAPTER 2/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i wake up to Gabriels wake up whistle a short tune that is by now a very /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"familiar one i quickly take off my sleeping dress and put on a black camisole /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and blue shorts its a warm day today with summer slowly rolling around and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"notes of corn flower blossoms in the air i see mike in the smithy banging my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"wheel back in shape the women are doing laundry Chris is fertilizing the field /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the crops will be ready soon and that will mean that there will be more food/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"not that its scarce at the moment in fact we get about two-thirds of are food /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"from natural resources and we are extremely proud of that i walk in two the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"kitchen and grab a plate and put some corn cakes and sausage i see Gavin /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"looking at an old toy you wind it up and it makes music then jumps open i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"have a vague recollection of once owning one but shake the thought off /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"tomorrow the gangs will arrive and i am charged with finding sleeping /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"arrangements with Chris when he's done fertilizing i make myself busy with /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"splitting wood till Chris walks in and i skip up to him and inform Gabriel that /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"were going to look for sleeping arrangements we walk out the oak door and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"over to Chris's four wheeler he suggests the flat land and i quickly the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"suggest the hill which is near us but not close enough for any trouble or fights /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"we quickly take some white spray paint and divide the hill into five sections /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"as equal as we can humanly achieve then Chris digs a hole in the ground /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"while i erect a lean to like structure I'm bending over and pretty aware of him /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"gawking at me and roll my eyes then put a nail in my mouth while i hammer /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the other one in you know Chris mutters my uncle used to do that before the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"first shock and one day he coughed and the nails went down his throat we /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"rushed him to the emergency but he was ok but he always had a scratchy /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dry throat i scowl are you trying to tell me that i shouldn't put the nails in my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"mouth he nods vigorously i nod but keep them there damn Fortune he says /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"can't you just do this one thing i ignore him Fortune please fine i consent and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"spit them onto the ground and continue until the temporary port-a-pot and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"admire my work as Chris climbs out of his hole i can't help but notice his /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"bunching muscles and chocolate eyes and brown hair that sweeps his boyish /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"face i struggle to pull my gaze from his abs back to the squat hut and tense/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"as he puts his arm around my shoulder i look at him and can't hide a blush /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Chris yes Fortune umm what are you doing huh is all i get and sigh lets head /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"back he nods and its a little awkward when i sit behind him gripping with my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"thighs and upper arms but i try hard to ignore it and we are quickly home its /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"mid afternoon and i step off the four wheeler and chop some more wood till /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"mother calls me in for a bath i grunt in reply we take baths twice a week but /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"we always do one the day before i help Jill lug jugs of water to fill the brass /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"tub near the fire pouring it in by the gallons when it was warm mother poured /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"in pretty smelling rose salts i walk out and wait till its my turn i walk in and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"shed my shirt pants bra and panties and slip into the sweet healing waters /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"freeing my hair from its ponytail and using a comb to fan it around my head /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and scrub it with shampoo then conditioner then use an old razor to shave /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"then slowly slip out of the murky water and look for my clothes only to see /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"they've been replaced with a pink frilly dress i sneer in disgust you'd have to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"put it on me hissing and scratching i sigh and look closer and see that /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"underneath it are my old clothes i slip them on and walk defiantly then plop /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"down in the kitchen Bethany eyeballs my old clothes but keeps her mouth /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"closed and tells me that Mike fixed my bike i leap up and rush out the door to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"the smith and rush to my bike its gleaming a dark purple that sparkles mike /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"walks out his red hair a muss i squeal and rush to hug him thank you i gush /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"he smiles and says just be careful i nod and hop on i decide I'm not wearing /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"that pink dress but i know an old store that has nice clothes and decide to go /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"there i race down the highway strumming the motor i know mom will be mad/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"I'm not supposed to go out without asking but i sneak out anyway stores zip /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"by but i eventually see a small boutique i walk in and pull my gun out /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"listening for noise i think i see a few demons in the distance but there not /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"close enough i stare at the racks the clothes are kept in bags so they have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"kept almost perfectly i sort through colors till i get to black i need a short one i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"look and finally my eyes land on a short black leather corseted dress i grab it /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and some short black boots that seem sturdy enough i grab them and a tight /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"spiked leather jacket and leave as i go i notice some hair clips and grab them /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i leave and stir up the engine and I'm soon on the familiar gravel road and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"park my bike in front of are treehouse and briefly examine my hair clips they /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"are flowers a green a blue a pink and a maroon one a rainbow purple and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"black i quickly /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"pocket the clips and climb up the ladder and put my hair clip and dress into /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"my small chest by my bed and climb back down the ladder and walk to the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"green brick house mother and the girls are in a fluster and i see a strange /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"man sitting on a bench stool my heart thumps he has black hair and sharp /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"angular face his eyes remind me of a cool blue lake spotted with green algae /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i draw in a sharp breath and Jill gives me a knowing look and i scowl and turn /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"to mother and ask whats happening she looks at me and frowns Fortune /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dear where's /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"that pretty dress i found you i shrug i didn't like it she looks upset but i quickly /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"amend its okay mother i found compensation she nods it better not be black /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and her scowl deepens when i don't answer so i simply ignore her and turn /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"my attention to and his searching gaze meets my questing one /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and i arch an eyebrow so how can we help you well he says you've already /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"helped me a deal miss and he gestures too the chicken soup he's drinking i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"nod and look him up and down from his bracelet i can tell he's from the night/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" crawlers gang i say why are you here early oh yes well he says they'll be /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"here in an hour too all the other gangs as well and I'm here two warn you i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"nod thank you no warning needed it will just be a bit of a late night mother /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"where's Gabriel i ask and Bethany replies he will be back him and mike are /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"looking at a new contraption i nod and mother takes down story of the world /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"she glances at the man i hope you don't mind i make them all listen to me /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"read history i sit down and he looks astonished you mean you have a book /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" history a whole bookcase actually he seems shocked please read something /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"she nods and starts reading from the egyptian section about king Tut the boy /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"ruler and she goes on to the romans when Gabriel's dark frame fills the door /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and were all broken from are trance i jump up and explain this mans /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"presence Gabriel looks him up and down nods and then asks him his name i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"blush pink i hadn't thought to ask he answers my name is Drake i think to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"myself you look like a Drake tall and lean broad shoulders and a small… i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"snap myself out of my wayward thoughts as Gabriel formally introduces /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"himself and Chris who is glowering at him i have no idea why though i sigh /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and sit back down when another knock on the door and i rush over to it and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"see a brown bearded man with a silver ring and recognize him from the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"grunge dwellers i shake his hands welcome to the ravanger gang mister /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"were pleased to have you did you all bring blankets and tents and fifty heads /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"nod affirmation i yell then i will lead you to your resting places they whoop /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and i lead them up to the hill now listen i say each of your gangs have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"assigned spaces choose one and stay there I'm afraid you're a bit /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"unexpected but if you're hungry Bethany will be in the kitchen with apples/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" cheese bread and water they nod and i say if you need help ask for me my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"name is Fortune i hear a few snickers and i explain my mother was a fortune /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"teller before the shock's and also tomorrow after the council were having a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dance so all you young men had better grab a pretty gal or all you who have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"one can make fun of them for a year they screech and then most head off to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"bed or light fires and play cards i walk back to our house and collapse on the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"bed to sleep/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div 


	4. Chapter 4

div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"CHAPTER 3/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i wake to notes of cinnamon and strawberry jam and i quickly slip a black /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"vest and shorts on and put some boots on and trot down to breakfast she i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"grab a biscuit and apple and sit down at a round table outside Drake is /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"across from me and Chris is next to me he is sitting uncomfortably close so i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"lean ove to get my water filled scooting away from him Drake arches a brow /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and i blush crimson i continue to scoot away but Chris closes the distance /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and drapes an arm around my waist i tense and drake scowls glaring at /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Chris's hand i just sit there and realize that this vest emphasizes my bank in /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"a really inappropriate way and notice Chris leaning in a little too close Drake /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"is white with rage and his eyes darken i am perplexed but there is a pleasant /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"warm feeling coiling inside me and i realize I'm happy i have never liked men /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"in an attractive way but all the same being wanted is a desirable feeling and i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"excuse myself realizing i need to get to the council apologizing i leave and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"walk back to the house into the back room where a bunch of men and a few /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"women are seated i take my seat next to Gabriel since i would be leader in /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"his place i join him some men bring there wives but they just chatter together /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"are leader wise man magnus slams the hammer down and not a breath is/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" whispered he turns his gaze looking at each of us equally then speaks in a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"calm commanding voice as you all know demon population has gone down /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"considerably but that does not mean you can relax this simply means we /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"must push harder to entirely wipe them out a shiver of excitement circles the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"table and we all give our reports about the demons and everyone seems /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"pleased its starting to get dark when we've finished each year there's a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dance this may seem silly but the human race needs to continue so we need /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"more families so this is a place to meet each other and if we like each other /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"we stay with either gang for a few months until the next dance where we /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"have the option to marry generally after and start families i personally don't /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"think i would ever /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"bring a child in this shattered version of our world but i couldn't deny i wanted/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" something to hold and care for i had salty but i wanted to care for something /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"of my flesh and blood to protect and love i shake my head at such foolish /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"thoughts although… maybe i would find someone to cherish me at tonights /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"dance the dance was taken after the indian tribe marital dances i sigh /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"knowing id never leave mother i continue walking to our tree house and climb /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"in it to see mother wearing a floral maroon and mango summer dress and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Cosme already dressing i notice my pink frilly dress sitting on my bed but /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"ignore it Cosme is wearing a brown bag dress probably the best she could /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"find i notice her looking lustfully at my pink dress and toss it to her she /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"flashes me a brief smile and a sisterly hug i realize i do love her even if she /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"can be a brat i draw back and and grab my dress i quickly take off my bra its /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"a corset anyway a modern version of a medieval bra i slide the dress up slip /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"it on and admire my reflection i have never thought my self a true beauty but i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"had pleasant features i guess but this dress brought out my dark eyelashes /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and accented my ethereal grey eyes i quickly pulled my hair into a twist /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"spearing it with the black crystal pin i marvel at what these would have /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"costed before the shocks probably a lot i shiver off my reminiscing here /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"comes my chance for true love i scamper down the ladder and into the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"kitchen and see the girls i notice Jill in a flowy empire wasted green dress /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"accenting her long red hair Bethany in blue adding a sparkle to her eyes and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"accentuating her long legs/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Carrie is in a beautiful white dress with sparkly crystals on the collar i look at /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"them and pull out the hair pins i hand a green pin to Jill a Pink pin to Cosme /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"a maroon pin to mother and the rainbow to carrie and bethany a blue one /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"they shoot me relieved smiles and slip them into there hair i smile and we /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"walk out to a bonfire i hear flutes and bongos playing an entertwining /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"harmony i immediately feel the pull and push the throbbing pulsing of the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"music entering my body people are dancing in ways i never thought possible/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" some i learn are break dancing tangoing club mashing and some form of /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"jazz i find myself bending my body and arching my feet above my head in /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"ways i never dreamed of doing i feel a pair of soft warm hands on my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"shoulder and look to see Chris dancing with me in a slow rocking motion i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"feel strong and independent but undated i don't love Chris in a romantic way /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"i could never feel like he filled me with happiness only longing for something /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"real i slowly slide away from him i see a dazed hurt look on his face but /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"Cosme and i slowly melt into the mix of thing i notice a line forming and step /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"in thinking its something good i ask a red bearded man what its for and he /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"reply's fire jumpers damn miss you know nothing i nod but can't seem to /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"leave the line everyone jumps the fire up until the man in front of me goes /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and catches his pants on fire they are quickly doused thoroughly with water i/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" start having second guesses but knowing I'm as good as any boy take deep/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" breath and my legs move on there own accord into a rolling run building up/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" momentum i see the blaze crackling and i jump for a minute i think i didn't /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"make it and wonder if this is what death feels like when my feet slam to the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"ground and strong arms hold me steady damn girl i hear a man whisper with /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"a voice like velvet and look into drakes rippling eyes and for a moment I'm /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"lost when he said you must have cleared that by a whole yard what and i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"look to see people gaping Drake grins and i flush a did i just do that look on /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"his face he nods conformation and i notice a man marking me up for highest /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"jumper i go crimson i didn't know people were gambling he nods and sweeps/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" me onto the foot smoothed floor and i dance he can move i am lifted into the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"air spun and tossed i roll my neck point my toes and let everything go i notice /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"through half closed eyes people are staring and a ten by ten space has /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"opened up so i give it my all bending rolling sweeping it is such a wild full /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"happy feeling i don't feel anything but the moonlit sky and Drakes arms on my/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" waist i realize I'm dreadfully thirsty and stop whispering in his ears my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"needs he nods and we walk to the bar where they have a series of drinks i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"find some kind of fizzy pink drink i learn is sherbert punch and down it putting /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"br /my used cup in a pile i nod to a seat and Drake leads me i sit and watch the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"whirling spin of dancers the stomping of feet the fire jumpers face lighting up /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"as they feel the heat and sparks they jump over i look back to drake and i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"notice he's staring at me i look up to his sea green eyes and blush but i doubt /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"he can see it which relieves me i sit and finally pluck up the nerves to talk /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"and ask him about food supplies and he smirks spring on the other gangs are /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"you i nod sincerely and he smirks fine i will tell you are ratio if you tell me /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"yours i smile and proudly say exactly two thirds he actually looks surprised /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"what are the things you do scavenge i smile and say salt sugar and clothes /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"he nods were the opposite we scavenge our food make our own beds and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"clothes i nod you know if we both joined our gangs together your end could /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"make clothes we could scavenge he starts laughing and stutters out quite the /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"little diplomat aren't we thats what I'm here for he i notice him frowning and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"ask whats wrong well aren't you here to find a suitable husband i shake my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"head thats a side option if i find someone great but i am more interested in /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"watching the other gangs and that my good sir is why i don't drink spiked /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"punch he /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"drops his cup shit i didn't know sorry its okay i could smell it i laugh and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"notice a group of dark shadows moving our way and see Chris and a group /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"of intoxicated men standing behind Drake i clear my throat and look at Chris /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"pointedly asking him what he wants a slow smirk travels up his face and he /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"replies you i feel my insides twist in an unpleasant way and ask why i would /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"want him and he points at drake with me you could stay with mother with him /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"you would be with strangers he garbles out the last word and i say Chris i /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"love you i see Drakes face twist in despair and finish like i would love a /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"younger brother Chris face contorts in fury and i notice a few of the men /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"laughing at him i shoot them a glare and turn to Drakes who is looking /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"happier i can't guess why but a more pleasant wanted feeling curls into my /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"stomach twirling its way into my heart and i notice Chris scowling and literally/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" growling i push him away and hiss go dance with Cosme he looks at her and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"shakes his head you i yawn feigning boredom no Cosme he snarled and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"stalks over to a now happy looking Cosme Drake looks at me with wonder /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"why don't you take him i grin he isn't my type he smiles well what is your type /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"hmm i say i don't know maybe you could show me he smirks and leads me /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"out to the dance floor and we spin laughing and pirouetting swirling and /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"twirling until dawn breaks over the horizon and Drake carries me to bed/div  
div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;" /div 


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